(This is part of my journey going checking out Star Control 2. You can follow the entire series on the Retro Gaming page.)

I don’t know how far I am into Star Control 2 at this point, but my ship is already pretty decked out. I have tons of fuel, full engines, some weapons, the portal generator, and plenty of cargo space for my mining expeditions. The Bio Break feels responsive and zippy, and I’ve got a small fleet of bodyguards to protect me. So let’s crack open this galaxy and suck the wealth out of it! I am the one percent!

The problem with this is, from a blogging perspective, that scouring through systems, scanning planets, and mining them doesn’t make for compelling narrative that I can share with you. I’m much more interested in interacting with the zany alien races, but we need to build up a base of wealth, and that means grunt work like this.

I do find some “rainbow worlds” like the one above. It’s too nasty to land on — Class 4 weather will eat my landers in seconds — but just scanning them is data that I can sell to the Melnorme later on.

Along the way, I bump into yet another alien race, the Thraddash. They’re Ur’Quan battle thralls, sort of a mix between Klingons and warthogs. Always spoiling for a fight to prove dominance and worth, today is a good day to die, etc. I hated the Klingons. I don’t think I’ll like these guys much either, although he is rocking that cigar.

At least the Thraddash have great war stories, and with some prodding, they’re very willing to talk your ear off. Before blowing you up, of course.

Also, did the game writer misspell “tattoo?”

From talking to the space warthog, I find out that the Thraddash have had a long tradition of blowing up their civilization and starting over, calling it “Culture Fifteen,” “Culture Sixteen,” and so on. But the Ur’Quan came, gave them a thrashing (which they respected), and now they’re guarding the flanks of Ur’Quan space.

I actually convince this guy to prove his worth by fighting the Ur’Quan’s enemy, and he leaves me be for the time being. Yay chatty me!